Three Piece Garage Hook

ABSTRACT

In one aspect, a holder mountable to a friable substrate may include a self-drilling drywall fastener, a wall engaging base plate having an opening for receiving a fastener, and at least one leg extending from the base plate for holding an object. In another aspect, a holder may include a self-drilling drywall fastener having a drilling portion longer than a drywall thickness followed by a high-threaded portion, a wall engaging base plate, and at least one leg for holding an object. In still another aspect, a holder may include a self-drilling drywall fastener having a screw-like drilling portion longer than a drywall thickness followed by a high-threaded portion, a drywall engaging base plate having a recess for receiving a rotary driver and a pair of openings each capable of receiving a threaded drywall fastener and engaging threads thereof.

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/148,159, filed Jun. 8, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/939,795, filed on Sep. 13, 2004 (now U.S.Pat. No. 7,160,074), and of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/844,706,filed on May 12, 2004, which claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/510,708, filed on Oct. 10, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a holder, commonly a garage hook,mountable in a friable substrate such as drywall, for holding an objectsuch as a household or garden item, e.g., a tool such as a spade.

2. Description of the Related Art

Garage hooks typically are wire-like with a drywall penetrating end thatis straight, pointed, and typically threaded like a screw for drivinginto drywall and sometimes a stud. An opposite end usually forms one ofa variety of configurations of hooks. Driving the garage hook commonlyis accomplished by gripping and turning the hook end to drive the pointand the threads into the drywall.

Anyone who has attempted to install wire-like garage hooks knows that itis easier said than done. A firm, steady, axial, pushing-while-rotatingforce is needed, and driving typically is stuttered and wobbly. If theuser hits a stud squarely, great effort and skill are required to forcethe point and the threads into the stud, which may cause the threads tostrip out the soft, friable drywall, often resulting in an unsightly anduncertain installation. More commonly, the user does not hit a stud, andthe installation may look sound but is actually wobbly and loose.Moreover, screw-like threads have little pullout strength in drywallalone and can easily strip out the drywall during installation. In use,the garage hook may turn, particularly after repeated loading, unloadingand bumps, causing the garage hook to loosen, fall or dump its load fromthe wall, resulting in damage to the load, the wall, or other garagedproperty, such as a car.

For additional pullout strength, some garage hooks, see, e.g., U.S. Pat.No. 6,676,350 to McSherry, rely on large drywall-anchor-like threads.Such garage hooks sometimes require pre-drilling and are often defeatedif they hit a stud. Although garage hooks with drywall threads providehigher pullout strength in drywall than screw-like threads, they stillusually can only hold objects of light to moderate weight.

Pre-drilling into studs or wood may be considered for many kinds ofgarage hooks, however, in each case, additional planning, tools and timeare required. For example, some garage hooks require one or more screwsto be driven, but unless pilot holes are positioned, sized andpre-drilled with great care, efforts to drive screws can result instripping of the drywall.

Illinois Tool Works Inc., assignee of this application, has made manyadvances in drywall anchors. An anchor sold under the trademark E-ZANCOR, see commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,625, is a self-drillingdrywall anchor. Another anchor, sold under the trademark STUD SOLVER,see commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/510,708, is aself-drilling drywall anchor capable of penetrating studs. Until now,however, the improvements in drywall anchor technology have not beenreflected in garage hooks.

What is needed is a holder mountable to a friable substrate that may beeasily installed for increased pullout resistance and load capacity.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the invention, a holder includes at least oneself-drilling drywall fastener, a wall-contacting base plate having atleast one opening for receiving one said self-drilling drywall fastener,and at least one leg for holding an object. The combination of theself-drilling drywall fastener and the base plate may provide increasedpullout resistance and load capacity in a friable substrate. The openingmay be sized for engaging a head of the drywall fastener to seat thedrywall fastener.

In another aspect of the invention, a holder includes at least oneself-drilling drywall fastener having a drilling portion longer than adrywall thickness followed by a high-threaded portion for engaging thefriable substrate, a wall contacting base plate having at least oneopening for receiving one said self-drilling drywall fastener, and atleast one leg for holding an object. In this configuration, the drillingportion may bore a pilot hole entirely through the drywall before thehigh threads begin to engage the drywall. The high-threaded portion alsomay be longer than the drywall thickness, so that the high threads mayengage the rear drywall surface and add further to the pulloutresistance and load capacity.

In still another aspect of the invention, a holder includes at least oneself-drilling drywall fastener having a screw-like distal portion longerthan a drywall thickness followed by a high-threaded drywall-engagingportion and a head having a recess for receiving a rotary driver, a wallcontacting base plate having a pair of openings each capable ofreceiving one said self-drilling drywall fastener, and at least one legfor holding an object. In this configuration, if a stud is encountered,the screw-like drilling portion may self-drill into the stud. The atleast one leg and pair of base plate openings may be aligned forincreased pullout resistance and load capacity.

These and other features and advantages are evident from the followingdescription of the present invention, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder mountable to a friablesubstrate for holding an object.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the holder.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the holder.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a drywall type fastener.

FIG. 6 is elevation view of the drywall type fastener of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a holder mountableto a friable substrate for holding an object.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the holder of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an elevation view of the holder.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the holder.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a holdermountable to a friable substrate for holding an object.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the holder of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an elevation view of the holder.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the holder.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a holdermountable to a friable substrate for holding an object.

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the holder of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is an elevation view of the holder.

FIG. 18 is a side view of the holder.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a holdermountable to a friable substrate for holding an object.

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of the holder of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is an elevation view of the holder.

FIG. 22 is a side view of the holder.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a holdermountable to a friable substrate for holding an object.

FIG. 24 is a top plan view of the holder of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is an elevation view of the holder.

FIG. 26 is a side view of the holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a holder 10 includes a flat, generally oval or“surfboard-shaped” flange or base plate 26 having at least one and, asshown, a pair of openings 30 to one side (e.g., above) of its center,each capable of receiving an drywall fastener 24 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Atleast one and potentially two or more legs 28 extend from base plate 26to the other side of center (e.g., below) for holding an object. Leg(s)28 and drywall fasteners 24 spaced to either side of the center of theflange or base plate provide for higher overall pullout resistance andload capacity for holder 10.

Holder 10 is mountable to a friable substrate such as drywall and isused for holding, typically hanging, an object (not shown), such as atool, a ladder, a broom, a spade, a bicycle, or other objects on afriable substrate such as drywall. Holder 10 allows a user to select aposition anywhere on drywall that is feasible to place the objectdesired to be held. Holder 10 may be used for holding tools or otherobjects on interior or exterior friable substrates of a residential homeand is particularly useful for hanging tools or other objects from awall or ceiling within a garage; therefore, holder 10 will be describedand shown as a garage hook. However, holder 10 may be equally usable inother applications.

The friable substrate may be one of several materials used inconstruction, such as stucco, plaster, or gypsum based drywall soldunder the trademark SHEETROCK by United States Gypsum. Drywall typicallyhas a thickness T of about ½ inch or about ⅝ inch, but it may beobtained in other thicknesses, such as about ⅜ inch. Typically, friablesubstrates such as drywall are mounted to support studs, such as woodsupport studs, for example 2×4 studs or the like, evenly spaced apart,e.g. every 16 inches, or metal support studs, such as steel supportstuds. Studs are substantially more resistant to pullout than drywallbecause they are less friable and much less likely to break apart.

Holder 10 and drywall fasteners 24 may be made from a sturdy materialsuch as plastic, nylon, steel or aluminum, and in a one embodiment, castzinc.

Fasteners 24 anchor and also rotationally lock holder 10 in place toprevent rotation and loosening of holder 10. The openings 30 may bepositioned generally vertically above center, as shown in FIG. 1, sothat the pullout strength acts to prevent holder 10 from pivotingoutwardly away from drywall. Installing holder 10 with drywallfastener(s) 24 positioned above center with drywall fastener threads 32engaged in drywall increases the shear load holder 10 can withstand. Twoopenings 30 are included in base plate 26, as shown in FIG. 1. The baseplate also may have a rearwardly projecting tang 33, which may puncturethe paper surface of the drywall and extend a short distance into thedrywall to pre-position the holder on the drywall surface for fastenerinsertion, and, upon installation, to further enhance the shear loadcapacity of the installed holder.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, each drywall fastener 24 includes a head 25having a recess 64, such as the Phillips recess 64 shown in FIG. 5, forreceiving a rotary driver (not shown) so that holder 10 may be installedwith a driving tool, such as a screwdriver or a drill with a screwdriverbit. Recess 64 includes one or more torque transmitting surfaces 65 sothat torque may be transmitted from the rotary driver to rotate drywallfastener 24 in order to drive drywall fastener 24 through the drywall.

One or more legs 28 extend from base plate 26, providing a place to hangan object. Legs 28 may come in many configurations, including straightlegs, J-shaped legs, C-shaped legs, bicycle hooks, ladder hooks, toolhooks, coat or hat hooks, or a U-shaped pair of legs 28. Each leg 28 mayextend axially out from base plate 26, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, or mayextend laterally along an outer surface of the drywall.

Continuing with FIGS. 1-4, in one embodiment, a pair of legs 28 forms aU-shape. A U-shaped holder 10 may be particularly useful for holdinglong handled objects, such as a spade or broom, so that the handle fitsbetween legs 28 and the spade blade or the broom head rests on legs 28.Legs 28 are diametrically opposed, symmetrical about an axis 18, andgenerally aligned in a common plane so that legs 28 may be positioned sothey are level and parallel with the floor. Each leg 28 may also includea distal portion 70 that may be generally parallel each other andgenerally perpendicular to base plate 26. Each leg 28 has an enlargedfoot 72 at distal portion 70, at a distal end of leg 28 to prevent theobject from sliding off or tipping over the end of legs 28 and forimproved safety.

It may be desirable that the spacing LS between legs 28 be large enoughso that a typical handle of a broom or spade, i.e. a cylindrical handlehaving a diameter of between about 1 inch and about 1½ inches, will fitbetween legs 28. An inner edge of each foot 72 may protrude inwardlytoward the other leg 28 so that the spacing FS between feet 72 may besmaller than spacing LS between legs 28, as best viewed in FIG. 2. Thefoot may also extend upwardly from leg 28, as best viewed in FIG. 4 toprovide a stop to prevent a tool, such as a spade, from sliding betweenfeet 72. In one embodiment, as best viewed in FIG. 3, each foot 72 hasrounded edges 76 facing outwardly for improved safety. In this regard,the legs 28 and feet 72 may also be coated with a durable plasticmaterial.

The spacing FS and LS between feet 72 and legs 28 may be large enough,and base plate 26 is long enough so that the nose of a drill will fitbetween feet 72 and legs 28 so that a user may use a typical cordlessdrill adapted with a screwdriver bit to engage recess 64 and rotate eachdrywall fastener 24 to drive each drywall fastener 24 through a hole 30into the drywall.

In one embodiment, the spacing LS between the pair of legs 28 may bebetween about 1½ inches and about 3 inches, e.g., about 2 inches. In oneembodiment, each foot 72 protrudes inwardly from its corresponding leg28 between about 1/16 inch and about ¼ inch, e.g., about ⅛ inch, so thatfor a pair of legs 28 with spacing LS of about 2 inches, the spacing FSbetween feet 72 may be between about 1½ inches and about 1 15/16 inches,e.g., about 1¾ inches. Each foot may extend upwardly from correspondingleg 28 by between about ¼ inch and about ¾ inch, e.g., about ½ inch. Inone embodiment, the feet 72 extend upwardly and downwardly from legs 28,as shown in FIG. 4.

Continuing with FIGS. 1-4, each side of distal portion 70 of each leg 28may include upper and lower flat surfaces 78 which may be generallyparallel to the common plane of legs 28 so that when legs 28 are level,an object laid across flat surfaces 78 will also be level. Legs 28 mayalso include one or more grooves 80 formed in each leg 28 so that anobject may rest within the grooves 80. For example, an object having athin portion that will be laying on legs 28, i.e. the blade of a shovelor spade, may be hung off legs 28 so that the thin portion rests ingrooves 80 to prevent the spade from rolling or sliding along legs 28.In one embodiment, best seen in FIGS. 1-4, each leg includes threegrooves 80 spaced apart by stops 82 between base plate 26 and foot 72.

Legs 28 and feet 72 may be symmetrical, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.In addition, in FIGS. 1 and 3, when legs 28 are positioned so that theyare level, openings 30 may be positioned so that they are generallycentered vertically above legs 28, on axis 18.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in one embodiment, self-drilling drywallfastener 24 has an enlarged head 25, an axis 27, a drilling portion 34having a length longer than a thickness of the friable substrate ordrywall and a high-threaded proximal portion 32 for engaging friablesubstrate or drywall. The threads 32 are sized to pass freely throughthe openings 30 in the base plate 26, while the head 25 engages the baseplate 26 around the openings 30. The base plate 26 is substantiallywider than a largest outside diameter of proximal portion 32.

Drywall fastener 24 may have a long unthreaded drilling portion 34 ofthe type sold under the trademark STUD SOLVER, see commonly assignedU.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/510,708, is a self-drilling drywallanchor capable of penetrating studs, but preferably has theconfiguration shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Because drywall fastener 24 is notan anchor and does not receive a fastener, drywall fastener 24 may besolid rather than hollow, allowing drywall fastener 24 to have a smallerroot diameter while still providing the durability necessary to bedriven into drywall and any stud which may be behind the drywall.

FIGS. 7 through 10 show a similar holder 110, which, instead of a pairof legs 28 is provided with a J hook 128. The base plate 126 of theholder 110 is a similar flat, oval or surfboard-shaped element, but of asomewhat shorter length than the base plate 26. The base plate 126 has apair of through openings 130 for receiving drywall fasteners 24,substantially identical to the openings 30 described above.

The J hook holder 110 includes a single, and generally J shaped leg 128,which in the illustrated embodiment has an enlarged head portion 132,which extends back inwardly in the direction of the base plate 126. Incross-section, the hook or leg 128, as shown has a generally flat upperportion 134 and curves to a relatively thin flat 136 on its underside.The inner surface of the head 132 may be rounded. In the same fashion asthe U-hook type holder 10 described above, the leg or hook portion 128of the J hook type holder 110 may be coated with a durable plasticmaterial.

Referring to FIGS. 11 through 14, a second, a second embodiment of aJ-hook type holder is shown, and designated generally by referencenumeral 210. The J hook 210 is generally configured similarly to the Jhook type holder 110 described above, whereby like reference numeralswith the prefix 2 are utilized to designate the like parts andcomponents. The leg or hook portion 228 of the J hook type holder 210is, however, longer than the hook 128.

Referring also to FIGS. 1 through 4, it will be seen that in each casethe base plate 26, 126, 226 has a recessed area 31, 131, 231 in whichthe holes 30, 130, 230 are formed. The remainder of each base plate 26,126, 226 is somewhat thicker to support the leg or hook portion. Also,it will be seen that the base plate 26 is somewhat longer than baseplates 126, 226, having short relatively straight or flat sections 37 atan intermediate portion thereof, whereas base plates 126 and 226 aresubstantially continuously curved peripherally. Also, the tang 33 of thetype holder 10 is positioned between the holes 30, whereas the tangs 133and 233 of the holders 110 and 210 are positioned above the top hole130, 230.

FIGS. 15 through 18 and FIGS. 19 through 22 show two embodiments of aholder having an elongated, generally L-shaped leg or hook 328, 428which will be referred to herein as a ladder hook. These holders may beused for hanging any of a number of relatively large objects. Also, inorder to accommodate somewhat larger or heavier objects, the base plates326, 426 of the ladder hooks 310, 410 may optionally include threemounting holes 330, 430 rather than the two holes shown on the previousembodiments. In this regard, the base plates 326, 426 are substantiallysimilar to the base plates 126, 226 described above. However, each ofthe previous embodiments may also employ three holes, if desired. Inthis regard, each of the embodiments shown may employ more or fewerholes without departing from the invention. Moreover, while the mountingholes are shown aligned along the same axis in the illustratedembodiments, it will be understood that one or more mounting holes maybe formed off axis, if desired, and that the base plates may be widened,if necessary, to accommodate such off-axis holes. In the same fashion asthe U-hook type holder 10 described above, the leg or hook portions 328,428 of the ladder hook type holders may be coated with a durable plasticmaterial.

The ladder hook type holder 310 has an elongated leg or hook portion328, which has a generally flat top surface 334 and a similar flatbottom surface 336 separated by one or more through openings 341. Theseopenings 341 are utilized primarily to reduce the amount of materialrequired in a molding process to produce the holder 310, whilemaintaining strength (i.e., inertia being proportional to the cube ofthickness). In the alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 19 through 22,the elongated leg or hook 428 is configured with a generally T-shapedcross-section. In this regard, the ladder hook 428 includes a generallyflat top surface 434 and a generally centered rib 436 projecting from abottom surface. Similar outer end portions of the ladder hooks 310, 410,designated by reference numerals 432, 332 are directed up atapproximately a right angle to the elongated leg portion 328, 428.

In FIGS. 23 through 26, the holder 510 has yet another form of hook,shaped for receiving a complementary-shaped hanger part of a tool orother object, or more particularly an O-ring or D-ring or other wireform 555 (comprising a part of the holder 510) which may be affixed toor otherwise configured to hang or otherwise support an object to besuspended from or held by the holder, or, as shown in FIG. 23, may beaffixed to one or both ends of a strap 515 for holding an object. Holder510 has a base plate 526 similar to base plate 126 in shape but somewhatsmaller. The base plate 526 is provided with openings 530 substantiallyidentical to the openings 30 described above. Holder 510 has a shorthook 528 with an enlarged, rounded head portion 532, which extends backinwardly in the direction of the base plate 526. this configuration maydefine a snap like engagement with the O-ring or D-ring or other wireform 555.

Drywall Fastener

In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, self-drilling drywallfastener 24 has an axis 27, a screw-like drilling portion 34 longer thanthe thickness of drywall, a high-threaded drywall engaging proximalportion 32 and a head 25 having a tool receiving recess 64 for receivinga rotary driver.

Continuing with FIGS. 5 and 6, in one embodiment, self-drilling drywallfastener 24 includes a high-threaded proximal portion 32 havingthreading 20 with a crest diameter and a high thread height for engagingdrywall, and threaded drilling portion 34 longer than a thickness ofdrywall and threading 50 with a crest diameter substantially smallerthan the crest diameter of proximal portion 32 and a thread heightsubstantially smaller than the thread height of proximal portion 32.

The crest diameter of threading 20 of proximal portion 32 may be abouttwice the root diameter of threading 50. In one embodiment, the crestdiameter of threading 20 may be between about 1¼ inch and about ¾ inch,for example about ½ inch, the root diameter at proximal portion 32 maybe between about ⅛ inch and about ⅜ inch, and the thread height ofthreading 50 may be between about ⅛ inch and about ⅝ inch, for exampleabout ¼ inch. The high-threaded proximal portion 32 may be slightlylonger than drywall thickness so that high threading 20 is able toengage the paper on an inner drywall surface to add further to thepullout resistance and load capacity of holder 10 as well as toaccommodate the seating of the head 25 on the back plate 26 around thehole 30.

In one embodiment, drywall gripping threading 20 may be one continuousgenerally helical thread and the root of proximal portion 32 expandstapers from drilling portion 34 toward proximal end so that drywallfastener 24 has enough strength to be driven into wood.

The screw-like drilling portion 34 with a length longer than drywallthickness allows drywall fastener 24 to bore a hole entirely through thedrywall before high threading 20 on proximal portion 32 begins to engagethe drywall. The screw-like smaller threading 50 of drilling portion 34also allows drywall fastener 24 to be able to grip and drill into a studif a user encounters a stud while installing holder 10 because thesubstantially smaller thread height and crest diameter of drillingportion 34 may be driven into a stud without excessive torque. In oneembodiment, the crest diameter of threading 50 of drilling portion 34 isbetween about 1/16 inch and about ¼ inch, e.g., about ⅛ inch, and thethread height of threading 50 is between about 0.02 inch and about 0.07inch, e.g., about 0.035 inch

Threading 50 may include a generally helical thread, as shown in FIG. 5,which may continue as thread 20 on proximal portion 32 so that there maybe a continuous thread between drilling portion 34 and proximal portion32. In one embodiment, drilling portion 34 may includes two generallyhelical threads arranged in a double helix to provide added supportaround drilling portion 34, to provide faster engagement of drywallfastener 24 with a stud, and to provide balanced driving into stud. Thesecond thread of the double helix may be present for only a portion ofdrilling portion 34 proximate drilling end 24, or it may continuesubstantially through all of drilling portion 34 to provide improvedgrip with a stud.

Drywall fastener 24 may include a drill tip 46 at drilling end 24. Inone embodiment, shown in FIG. 6, drill tip 46 is generally conical inshape and coaxial with axis 27 so that drill tip 46 comes to point ataxis 27 to guide and quickly engage outer drywall surface 44 and thesurface of a stud. In one embodiment, drilling portion 34 may include atleast one wing 60, and as shown, a pair of wings 60, that protrudesradially outwardly from drilling portion 34 for reaming out drywall toform a hole having the desired size. Wings 60 are designed to break awaywhen they hit a stud so that wings 60 ream out drywall and not a stud.

Method of Use

Each of the holders 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 and 510 may be used by amethod including the steps of selecting a location on a wall or ceiling,positioning the holder against the wall or ceiling at the selectedposition, pressing on said base plate to cause said rearwardlyprojecting tang to puncture the surface of the drywall and extend ashort distance into the drywall, aligning a first drywall fastener 24with one of the openings, and rotating drywall fastener 24 in aclockwise direction so that drywall fastener 24 drills through thedrywall, continuing to rotate drywall fastener 24 until a fastener headengages base plate. The method may also include the step of insertinganother fastener 24 into the other opening, and driving the fastener 24through the drywall until fastener head abuts base plate.

A user may select a position on the wall or ceiling without worryingabout the location of a stud located behind drywall because of theconfiguration of external threading 20 and 50, which allows drywallfastener 24 to drill through drywall and a stud. This feature alsoallows a user to intentionally position the holder so that drywallfastener 24 does hit stud, because there may be greater hold betweendrywall fastener 24 and stud, i.e., because the stud or other supportmember may be less likely to break apart than drywall. The ability toposition the holder virtually anywhere along a wall or ceiling allows auser to arrange a plurality of holders on the wall or ceiling for moreefficient use of the space allowing a plurality of objects to be heldwhile only needing to install holders using the mounting drywallfasteners 24 with a screwdriver or other rotary driver. The step ofrotating drywall fasteners 24 may be accomplished by inserting a rotarydriver into recess 64 and driving fasteners 24 with the rotary driver.

The holder of the present invention provides for the use ofself-drilling drywall fasteners to increase the overall pulloutresistance and load capacity of the holder. In one embodiment, the baseplate engages the heads of the fasteners to meter and stop the fastenersso that the fasteners engage the drywall without stripping it out,increasing engagement between the fastener threads and the drywall. Theholder also allows a user to hold an object at virtually any position ona surface of a wall or ceiling, even at a location where a supportmember may be behind the drywall.

Method of Making

A holder of the type described above, and comprising a base plate havingat least one opening to receive an anchor, and at least one legextending from said base plate for holding an object may be made by amethod comprising the following steps. Providing a pair of molds havingcomplementary mating cavities, together defining said holder, feedingmolten material into said cavity; setting said molten material to formsaid holder; and removing said holder from said mold. The drywallfastener may be made by a similar molding process.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one ofordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be thebest mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand andappreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents ofthe specific exemplary embodiment and method herein. The inventionshould therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment andmethod, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spiritof the invention as claimed.

1. A holder assembly mountable to a friable substrate comprising: atleast one self-drilling drywall fastener having an axis, exteriorthreading for engaging said friable substrate, a proximal end, and adrilling end; a base plate having a center, wherein said base plate hasat least one opening located above said center to receive said fastener,wherein for each fastener, said threading of said proximal end has acrest diameter of at least about ¼ inch, and each opening admits saidthreading of a corresponding fastener, said base plate being wider thana largest outside diameter of said exterior threading, and at least oneleg extending from said base plate for holding an object, wherein saidleg includes a base contacting portion proximate a bottom of said baseplate and further wherein said leg includes a plurality of sides, eachside extending from both a thicker portion and a comparatively recessedportion of said base plate.
 2. A holder assembly according to claim 1,further comprising a second opening in said base plate spaced from saidopening, wherein each opening is capable of receiving a drywallfastener.
 3. A holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein said atleast one leg comprises a J hook.
 4. A holder assembly according toclaim 1, wherein said at least one leg comprises an elongated, generallyL-shaped leg.
 5. A holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein saidholder is cast from zinc.
 6. A holder assembly according to claim 1,further comprising a rearwardly extending tang proximate an upper end ofsaid base plate.
 7. A holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein saiddrywall fastener comprises a self-drilling fastener having an axis, adrilling portion having a length longer than a thickness of said friablesubstrate and a high-threaded proximal portion for engaging said friablesubstrate.
 8. A holder assembly mountable to a friable substrate,comprising: at least one self-drilling drywall fastener having an axis,a high-threaded proximal portion for engaging said friable substrate anda drilling portion, one end of the proximal portion proximate a head ofthe fastener and a second end of said proximal portion spaced from adistal end of said fastener a distance greater than a thickness of saidfriable substrate; a base plate having at least one opening forreceiving said fastener, said base plate having a base portion and athicker portion, wherein said thicker portion includes a generallyplanar surface and an edge, said edge tapering inward from said baseportion to said generally planar surface; and a leg extending from saidbase plate for holding an object, said leg being generally symmetrical,wherein said plane of symmetry is generally perpendicular to saidgenerally planar surface.
 9. A holder assembly according to claim 8,said base plate further comprising a rearwardly projecting tang topre-position the holder on said friable substrate.
 10. A holder assemblyaccording to claim 8, wherein said leg comprises a J hook.
 11. A holderassembly according to claim 8, wherein said leg comprises an elongated,generally L-shaped leg.
 12. A holder assembly according to claim 8, saidleg comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein said uppersurface has a width larger than a width of said lower surface.
 13. Aholder assembly according to claim 8, said leg extending from both saidbase portion and said thicker portion.
 14. A holder mountable to afriable substrate, comprising: a base plate having a top, a bottom, acenter, and a generally oval peripheral shape, at least one openinglocated above said center to receive at least one drywall fastener andat least one leg having a base contacting portion proximate said bottom,said base contacting portion surrounded on a plurality of consecutivesides by a thicker portion of said base plate, said leg extending fromsaid base plate for holding an object, wherein said leg has a lowersurface at a height below said bottom and a distal end at a height abovesaid bottom.
 15. A holder according to claim 14, said base plate furthercomprising a rearwardly projecting tang to pre-position the holder on awall surface.
 16. A holder according to claim 14, wherein said baseplate defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein said center, said atleast one opening located above said center and said at least one legare all centered on said axis.
 17. A holder according to claim 14,further comprising a second opening in said base plate spaced from saidone opening, wherein each opening is capable of receiving a drywallfastener.
 18. A holder according to claim 17, further comprising a thirdopening, said third opening extending between said thicker portion and arear of said base plate, wherein said third opening is capable ofreceiving a drywall fastener.
 19. A holder according to claim 14,wherein said base contacting portion contacts said thicker portion and acomparatively recessed portion.
 20. A holder according to claim 19,wherein said thicker portion has a face and an edge, said edge taperinginward from said comparatively recessed portion to said face.